2013 Predictions - The Year of the Mobile Cloud

In September, Google Play announced that 675,000 apps have been downloaded more than 25 billion times, meeting the same milestone Apple announced back in March. Clearly, the mobile market is growing at a tremendous pace and an overwhelming number of mobile apps continue to enter the market. However, it can be difficult for companies to keep up and many of these apps are going untested, despite significant business risks this poses. As mobile permeates the business community, it’s more important than ever for companies to protect their brand. In 2013, we’ll see new trends in the mobile app industry and ways for businesses to adapt to this mobile disruption.

For starters, this will be the year of the true mobile cloud. In order to manage this fast-paced market, governance and security is crucial – and it can only come from a dynamic mobile cloud. Large enterprises are looking for managed, secured and robust mobile cloud solutions to enable offshoring, allow for real device governance and increase efficiency. There’s no other option besides a real mobile cloud.

We’ll also see the emergence of a new role: the Chief Mobility Officer (CMoO). With this rise in mobility, serious mobile projects will surface for the first time and enterprises will be looking for someone to not only manage these projects, but also bridge the gap between the business strategy and IT. It’s clear that mobile will be around forever, and it’s time that a new role is dedicated to this extensive area.

With such a focus on mobile, apps are no longer tested and updated once a year. Today, developers have the ability to test and issue updates in real-time, and companies are constantly improving their mobile apps. In 2013, we will see more of a focus on mobile app monitoring, which provides developers with visibility and control over the entire user experience in order to make necessary adjustments as they go.

Lastly, this year will highlight the importance of Web interfaces. Mobile shopping is at an all-time high as users are turning to their smartphones rather than heading to the store, and this trend will continue. Thus, it’s more important than ever for retailers to have a useful, friendly Web interface. Consumers will not install hundreds of applications from all their favorite retailers; they will want to use a Web interface to streamline the process while still getting products from their favorite brands.

The mobile market isn’t slowing down, and companies will certainly take strides in 2013 to adjust. By relying on a true mobile cloud, companies can better ensure a secure mobile app and lower business – and most importantly brand – risks. A CMoO will be able to take advantage of these new opportunities, managing company mobile projects and keeping up with latest developments. 2013 will be an exciting year for companies as they build their brand via mobile and reap the rewards.